~Onyx

My footsteps are near silent as I stride through the corridor.

"Where do you think you're going?"

I halt, grimacing before turning. My mother emerges from her office, dark brows raised expectantly.

We are almost the same person, sharing many similar qualities. Unfortunately for the both of us, I'm not just talking about our physical similarities.

"Nowhere mother, I was coming to speak to you," I lie. I had done such a good job avoiding her today.

"Mmm, I thought so." She crosses her arms, tapping her fingers against her biceps. "Did you look over those profiles Sienna was meant to bring you?"

"Strangely enough, Sienna was walking into my room, tripped, and sent every profile into the fire." I smile, patting her shoulder.

She brushes me off, rolling her eyes. "Onyx."

I sigh at her exasperated tone. Her and Sienna act like the Pack is about to dissolve without a meaningless union.

"I read them," I affirm. "And I'm not interested."

Her angular face refuses to shift in expression as she remains unsurprised. "And why not?"

"They aren't what I'm looking for."

"They are women of noble birth. Or they are filthy rich. What more could you want?" She steps forward, the top of her head barely reaching my chin. She brushes at an invisible piece of lint on my shoulder.

"I don't know."

I'm not lying to her for sport. I genuinely do not know what I'm looking for. Just not...them.

Her expression softens as she cups my cheek tenderly.

"I think I do," she murmurs. "You want love, my dear boy."

"I couldn't care less about love." Her hand falls away as I shake my head. The hard, pointed look she gives me tells me she doesn't believe me.

Alpha's don't marry for love. I've been raised to believe that, even though my parents were the exception. My father, before he died, told me never, as an Alpha, to believe love, outside of blood, to be genuine.

I've always believed that. Until I met Sienna.

"This Pack needs a Luna. Other Packs are sensing weakness here," mother insists, worry burying between her furrowed brows.

"I'm the strongest Alpha-"

"Perhaps, but without a Luna, doubts will spread. Your people are anxious for an heir. The last thing you want is for them to think something is wrong with you."

I rub a hand over my eyes, sighing.

I would do anything for my people. I've already sacrificed so much for them. This aspect of the job is the most difficult to perform, I'm finding.

"Maybe there is."

Mother's gaze considers me. "If you don't make an effort to find a wife, I will bring these women here and make you pick. Understand?"

I let my silence and long, cold stare tell her how ridiculous that sounds.

I understand that I have a duty I must adhere to. I have pressing obligations. All I want is more time. Weeks, months, maybe even years.

"You can't bring them here," I tell her calmly.

"Why not?"

"I'm not going to fall in love with one of them just because they are in my proximity," I insist, steadying my breathing.

I never let my mother see me angry. Frustrated, maybe. Sometimes irritated. Mostly, I let her see a sturdy, calm version of myself.

My stomach hollows at her wicked smile. "It worked with Sienna."

"Sienna is different. They aren't...they won't be like her." I ruffle my hand through my hair. "And I'm not in love with Sienna."

She levels a look. "Mmm."

Ever since Sienna and I became friends, I've heard such accusations. It's easy to brush off claims that she's my plaything, my fun in bed after a long day because that's not true.

Being accused of loving her is a much harder accusation to dismiss.

"She's my best friend. That's it," I state firmly. It's true. I'm not lying.

Mother steps forward, buttoning some of the top buttons I usually keep loose, her glossy red nails vivid against the dark of the fabric. I let her.

"Alpha's do not have friends. Everyone in an Alpha's circle must have a title." Her steely grey eyes flicker between my face and the buttons.

I run that over in my head. What is she insinuating?

"Are you saying Sienna is not worthy of being my friend?" A shimmery veil of rage starts to materialise in front of me. "I don't understand, I thought you loved her?"

Mother exhales slowly, smoothing her hands over my shoulders before stepping back. It's right of her to figure some distance between us is for the best with this manner of conversation.

"Sienna has worked diligently for me for many years, and I care about her deeply. This has nothing to do with worth. However, it is evident to everyone looking into this home that Sienna is here due to your generosity, not mine."

"So?"

She tucks her hands behind her back, all poise and elegance. "So, it is time to take Sienna as your mistress."

My heart beat stutters.

Mistress?

Vivid images of Sienna splayed out on my bed, her naked form nestled between my ivory covers, her sweeping curves beneath my palms flashes unbidden across my mind.

I shake the thought from my head. No, Sienna will not exist to serve me in my bed. She is much more than that.

"Mistress? How-"

"She needs a title. She needs a function, or else you must cut ties with her." Mother's tone is sharp, unforgiving.

She doesn't make mindless proposals. I'm the Alpha, but she knows I value her opinion too much to turn her down.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You know why. It is time to step up. Alpha's from Pack's all around us are closing in, waiting for you to slip." She shakes her head, a single black cluster of strands falling from her pinned up-do. "A friend is a weakness. A friend can be exploited."

I swallow thickly. Historically, Alpha's don't keep friends, but I don't mind being the exception. Just this once.

"This is ridiculous," I snap.

"People don't believe Sienna is just an employee here." She lowers her voice a touch. "You've killed men over her, son."

"So?"

"They know you care for her. Take her as a mistress, and you grant her protection, and a proper place here."

I shake my head in bewilderment.

Sienna won't take this well. The implication is that a mistress has a job to be the Alpha's lover and confidante. She is the latter, but not the former.

And such a title would lead the public to make assumptions about her. These will have consequences, impacting her future chances at love.

She doesn't deserve that.

"It won't stop these Alpha's from using her against me," I remind her, my words stiff and bitter.

"Every Alpha has a mistress. They are off limits. It's an unspoken rule." Mother says it so casually, like this isn't a life altering decision for Sienna to make.

"Bullshit."

I only benefit from this. Selfishly, the thought of having Sienna as mine, fully and forever is tantalising. She wouldn't be my lover, but she wouldn't be able to leave here, move on.

I shake the poisonous thoughts from my head. Sienna is not mine. She belongs only to herself, and she deserves a life carved out by her and not me.

"I love Sienna like a daughter. I helped raise her, Onyx," she continues. "I don't want to see her dead because you insist on taking her on every outing with you because you can't stand being away from her."

"I'm not married. I don't need to have a mistress."

"You will be married soon, will you not?" She raises her brows, daring me to say otherwise. "May as well appoint Sienna now, so your wife knows what to expect.

I fold my arms over my chest. "How will I get this elusive wife when I have a mistress?"

"This is the reality for Alpha's wives." She lowers her voice. "And she would have to live with the fact that you are in love with Sienna anyways."

A cold chill crawls over my skin.I don't like when people comment on Sienna and I's friendship. Not even my own mother.

"I'm not-"

"Hush, son." Her smile is all knowing. "Sleep with her, treat her as a true mistress or don't. But she must have this title."

"But-"

"End of discussion."

She turns on her heel, walking off down the hallway.

Ruffling my hands through my hair, I curse under my breath.

How am I supposed to ask Sienna to be my mistress?

***

I stretch out amongst the hay, yawning.

Sienna and I stare out the barn doors in silence, watching the steady fall of rain collect in puddles that crawl slowly toward us. They never seem to reach us, never seen to disturb the peace.

This barn has been our hideout since we were young. Its purpose is to house thick bales of yellow hay for the guards' horses.

Before us is a discarded pile of cards. Sienna won by a single game, but only after I fought her for victory for over an hour.

I conceded eventually.

"This weather is amazing," she murmurs, her head braced against one of the bales, her deep auburn hair splayed out across it.

I watch her from where I sit up, able to see only half her face. "I'll never understand why you like the rain when you hate storms."

She turns to look up at me, her gentle brown eyes burning almost gold under the single barn light.

"Rain is peaceful, storms are the Angel's smiting us," she points out, tapping her temple like this is a grand observation. "Plus, the rain sounds better than your grating voice."

I laugh roughly, shaking my head.

"It storms a lot here."

The amount of nights I've woken to tentative taps on my bedroom door. Half-asleep, Sienna would amble into my room and crawl beneath my covers, seeking refuge from the storm.

I don't mind holding her, soothing her to sleep. It doesn't matter what important occasion awaits me the next morning, I wait until her heartbeat steadies and her breath slows before I finally sleep.

I've never questioned her fear. Her mother uprooted her life and smuggled her away the night of an especially violent storm, apparently.

"Yeah." She sits up, leaning her back against the same bale as me. "That reminds me of something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's up?" I gently pick a few pieces of lingering straw from her hair.

She chews on her lower lip, falling victim to an ancient habit of hers. That and gnawing her nails down till there's almost nothing left.

"I was thinking of going away for the summer." Her eyes are wide and big as she anticipates my reaction.

"Away?"

"Just for a bit. Not the whole summer, because I still work for your mother, but just a couple of weeks," she says, turning her body to face me.

Admittedly, a cold, dark feeling curls up in the pit of my stomach. She deserves to leave, to have a break.

I can't hold her back. I won't.

"Where would you go?" I ask lightly.

"To see the ocean." She smiles to herself, the light warming her cheeks like the sun would. "I want glorious hot weather. So hot it's almost uncomfortable."

She can find the ocean at the other end of my territory, but not the warm weather. Our best weather is whenever there's a break in the snow or rain, which is a rare occurrence.

"You want to go by yourself?" I would go with her, if I could. I would take her anywhere she wanted to go.

She picks at a piece of straw, running it between her fingers. "I don't know. I know you can't come with me, but it's also dangerous to go alone."

I stare back off into the rain, guilt slowly ratcheting up within me. If she becomes my mistress, she won't be able to leave on spontaneous trips on her own.

I glance back at her face. She's so blissfully unaware.

"Take some time to think about it," I breathe, holding back on what I should be saying...what I should be asking her.

Her lips turn up slightly. "I'll be there for your wedding, don't worry."

I exhale roughly, rubbing my eyes. "Don't remind me."

She smooths her hair back, narrowing her eyes at me. I would be amused if this issue wasn't making me miserable.

"Those women are going to come here, you know."

"I know."

I feel her study me as I stare down at my hands. She has this uncanny ability to find the real influence behind most of my emotions.

This time, I hope she doesn't...

"Are you okay? Something on your mind?"

I avoid her stare, as if the rain I see almost everyday is more interesting than this conversation. "I'm just dreading this whole marriage thing."

"We need to unpack that at some point." She gets up, dusting straw off her backside. "Right now, I need to go to bed before I fall asleep on the hay."

"Alright."

She wanders to the door, pulling the hood of her jacket over her head. "Coming?"

"I just need a few more moments." Stewing in my thoughts for a while longer isn't my smartest move, but it's going to have to do for now.

"Don't forget the unveiling tomorrow," she warns, raising a brow. "I'm really proud of you for funding this hospital. It's going to save a lot of lives."

I smile weakly, nodding.

"I won't forget."

"Goodnight then."

"Night."

She gives me one last look before she darts out into the rain, vanishing amongst the shadows.

I lean my head back, my eyes fluttering closed. I'm fucked.

~Sienna

People surround Onyx, pulling his attention in all different directions.

I stand back a bit, watching. Him and I have both been invested in getting this hospital established here. Initially the proposal was rejected when his father ruled because this is a small village, but the healthcare here before wasn't sufficient.

"Sir, we would love to show you this new piece of technology that has saved many lives already," one of the doctors' claim, pointing back at the single-story building.

Onyx smiles, nodding. "Of course. I'll be there in a moment."

He turns to look at me, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You do that, and I'll go grab what I need from the store." I gesture down the street. I made an order not so long ago and I've been waiting for an opportunity to pick it up.

"Wait a bit and I'll come with you." He says.

"Or I'll send someone to do it."

"I can do it. I'll meet you back here in like ten minutes." I smile, tapping his arm assuredly.

He frowns a little, looking off down the street, then back at me.

"Alright," he mutters begrudgingly.

I press through the crowd that has gathered, heading off down the street. Despite living close by, we don't often come here. It's why so many people have come around to view the spectacle that is their Alpha.

The store is a small one, nestled amongst many others that are vacant due to the town's visitor. I open the glass door, immediately being hit by a wave of incense and clove.

An older woman sits behind the counter, glancing up from her book, her pale eyes narrowing slightly upon me.

"Hello, I had someone come and place and order for me the other day for some material for a bracelet. Is it ready?" I ask, resting my hands on the countertop.

She leans down, pulling up a large book.

"What's your name dear?"

"Sienna."

Her yellowed fingernail traces down the page until she see's my order.

"Are yes, it's out back. Give me a moment."

She slips through the cascade of strung up beads that act as a door and out back, leaving me teetering from the tips of my toes to my heels as I said.

"Hey there."

I yelp, whirling around.

A man sidles up next to me, leaning his arm on the counter. He appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He must have been perusing the shelves piled with a freakish amount of stuff.

"Oh, hey." I swallow uncomfortably.

"I think I know you." He points at me, looking at me like he's trying to figure me out.

I shift, rubbing the back of my neck. "Impossible. I'm not from here."

"You're that pretty little thing the Alpha totes around." He leans a little closer, his smile laden with crooked teeth.

Something about him is making me uneasy.

"I work for the Alpha's mother, Lucia," I concede, tapping my foot impatiently. I'll admit anything to have him stop speaking to me.

How long does it take to find a few pieces of string?

"Not for him?"

"No."

He rubs the bristly skin of his jaw, never once lifting his languid stare from me. Since I rarely visit the village, I'm not used to uncomfortable interactions like this one.

"So you're just fucking him then?" He asks abruptly.

I whip my attention to him, narrowing my eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I'm just curious." He shrugs, his grin playful, like he didn't just say something completely uncalled for. "A lot of people are wondering."

I know people wonder, and I equally don't care. Onyx and I's relationship doesn't exist to be dissected by the masses.

"That's none of your business, first of all," I mutter. "Second, Onyx is my friend."

I can feel myself getting angrier at his line of questioning, but I have to remember I can't snap. I'm Lucia's assistant, and that requires a certain level of decorum when seen in public.

The shopkeeper emerges from the back, holding up the blue and black material that will be weaved into Onyx's birthday present.

"Here we go dear, I found them." She lays them on the counter.

"Excellent." I rush to pull out the cash I need plus a little extra, sliding it across the counter.

"Do you want them wrapped?" She asks sweetly.

"No thank you."

I don't have to glance to my left to know the man is still standing right there, staring at me. It takes all my willpower not to snatch up the material as the shopkeeper grabs some tissue paper out from under the counter and starts to wrap it up anyways.

"Did you know this is the Alpha's mistress?" The man asks the shopkeeper, gesturing to me.

Her brows rise as she looks over me. "Oh wow, so you finally received the title then?"

"No, I am not his mistress," I growl.

I wish I could slap sense into some people. They think it's impossible for a powerful Alpha to have a female friend that isn't sleeping with him. Obviously they think lowly of me, but they must think Onyx incapable of having a normal friendship.

"That's a shame dear. Mistresses get many benefits," the shopkeeper says, slowly folding the tissue paper.

I clear my throat. I've never even considered being Onyx's mistress. I doubt he will ever have one. He's far too romantic and committed to his loved ones for that.

"Oh yes they do." The creepy guy winks and I grimace.

"Please take my money," I insist, pushing it closer to her.

She sighs wistfully, placing the money in the register before continuing with her painfully slow wrap of the tissue paper.

"You're much more beautiful in person. I see why he is so enamoured by you." She means it as a compliment, but I'm so irritated I just want it to stop.

By now Onyx will be asking around for me, wondering where I disappeared to.

"Please hurry. I have somewhere to be." I glance back at the door, then at the way she places tape to secure the wrapping.

The man inches closer. "With him?"

"I would love for him to visit my store," the shopkeeper gushes. "I would have the whole town in here tomorrow if they knew he brought even just one of my items."

I shift from foot to foot.

"He has no plans to come here. I'm sorry."

She sighs. "Oh well..."

At this point she's finished wrapping the string up, but she holds it close, like she's waiting for something. Perhaps she is hoping Onyx will stop by looking for me, but she doesn't know how detrimental that will be to her business rather than beneficial.

"Can I please have my purchase," I beg.

"No need to rush," the man drawls, his cloudy eyes focusing strictly on my chest. "I like having you around to look at. You're stunning."

"Look, I've been here far longer than intended. He's....people are going to start wondering where I am." I rub the back of my neck. I feel like I'm being held hostage over a few pieces of string.

If Onyx's birthday wasn't so important to me, I would have left with nothing by now.

Finally the shop keeper hands me the package. "Here you are then. Enjoy."

"Thank you."

I take it, stuffing it under my coat. Whirling around I head for the book, but a strong hand grabs my wrist, pulling me me close.

"Can we talk some more," the man asks, his breath gusting across my face. I takes everything in me not to gag.

"You need to leave me alone." I tug at my arm but his grip is like a vice.

"Really? You can't tell me the Pack's favourite whore only has room for one man in her pussy," he hisses.

I yank back as hard as I can. My palm burns, itching to feel his face against it.

Where I to lay one hand on him, the news would spread like wildfire. The repercussions would be endless, and my reputation would be stained forever.

Onyx would praise me, but Lucia, but boss, would be beyond disappointed.

"Fuck you," I growl, although my voice wavers.

The man's grin is lopsided. "Apparently you won't. What a shock!"

I press out the door, tears burning in my eyes as much as the shame is in the pit of my stomach.

Stumbling out onto the street, I charge off in what could be the wrong direction, but my vision is too blurry to determine anything.

I hear my name being distantly called. Moments later, warm hands seize my shoulders.

"There you are, I was....you're crying." Onyx tilts my chin up with his fingers, examining my face.

I hate crying around him. He gets all in his head, like it's his fault. It never is, but he drowns in unnecessary empathy. It's fascinating, because he's hurt people before, badly. Killed, even.

Yet when I'm hurt, in any capacity, it's like the world is burning.

"Come, we need to get back." I wipe the tears off my cheeks, hating that I let that creep get to me.

"What happened?" He looks over my shoulder, concern bleeding into his features.

I held up the tissue paper. "I got what I wanted. Let's go."

He doesn't move, as hard a rock as I tug on him. "Sienna..."

His jaw his hardened, and the concern has melted away, replaced by a dark storm of quiet anger. He senses my avoidance. He knows something happened.

"Seriously. Let's go." I gesture for him to follow me back down the street.

The wind ruffles his black hair as he considers his next move, ruminating in violent tension.

The door suddenly opens behind Onyx, the creepy man stepping out.

He catches on look at Onyx, a haunting presence in this quiet street. "Oh shit."

He vanishes back inside the store, slamming the door behind him.

Death follows his gaze as he looks between me and the door, something murderous flickering in his eyes.

"Onyx...don't."

It's too late. He's already at the door, stepping inside. I follow behind quickly, ready to clean up whatever mess is going to be left behind.

"Am I going to have to waste my breath, or are you going to tell me what you've done?" Onyx seats his hands in his pants calmly, looking at the man who now cowers back against one of the shelves.

"Nothing...I meant nothing by it." His eyes dart to me then back at the Alpha. "I meant it as a compliment."

"You meant what as a compliment?"

"Ah..."

Onyx looks at me, raising a dark brow.

He's unpredictable at best. This man may as well already be dead, but how my friend goes about killing him is yet to be determined.

"He meant nothing. Seriously, let's go." I don't want the blood of this man on my hands. I've been called worse than a whore.

Onyx looks around the room, observing the shopkeeper who stands behind the counter, gawking at us.

"No one is leaving until someone tells me what was said."

"He called her a whore," the shopkeeper blurts out.

I close my eyes, sighing through my nose. Shit.

"I just meant that it's lucky she is...you know, because she gets to sleep with you." The man swallows audibly, the multiple candles behind his head shrouding him like this is a ritual and he's the sacrificial offering.

Onyx tilts his head to the side, eyes narrowing slightly.

"On your knees," he orders quietly, firmly.

"Sir-"

"On your knees. Now."

The man's entire body is shaking as he obliges his Alpha's raw command.

"I'm sorry Sir. I didn't mean what I said," he excuses, looking at me for help.

I grab my friends arm, shaking him a little. "Onyx. Stop. It's just words."

"Do you have a family?" He asks.

"Onyx!" I growl.

"No..."

His lips tilt up slightly. "So no one will miss you?"

"Please don't do this." The man has shrunk down onto the floor, absolutely terror etched into his expression.

My chest aches just looking at him. I can't bear to stand and watch whatever my friend has planned for him.

"Hurt him, Onyx, and I'll never forgive you," I insist, pulling his attention back to me.

"I'm not hurting him." He shakes his head. "I just want him to know that your name, Sienna, will never be spoken from his mouth again."

He casts his narrow gaze back to the panicked man, who nods eagerly.

"It won't. I swear."

"Then we are done here." Onyx turns, striding for the door.

I follow him out, the traumatised man calling out behind us.

"Thank you for your mercy..."

I don't let my body relax until we are back outside, the cool air brushing against my flushed skin. Onyx rarely shows such restraint, especially when it comes to me.

"That felt too easy for you," I note as we walk back toward the hospital.

He gives me a side long glance, smirking. "I thought I better cut down in the violence if I want to find a wife."

"So you're serious about it now?" Despite his excuse, I get the feeling there's another reason he backed off.

"Undecided..." He sighs.

I don't push the issue. Not today. Not when Onyx showed mercy when that frankly isn't his style.

Not when I'm secretly terrified of losing him to an obligation I know he doesn't want to fulfil.

~Onyx

My mother paces in front of me, a murderous tension lengthening between us.

"My response was perfectly reasonable," I insist.

Her face shifts between at least three different expressions. Shock, anger and frustration.

"Reasonable?"

I shrug. "I didn't kill him."

Were I not so concerned about Sienna's presence, and so pleased at the hospital's official opening, I would have gutted him right there.

"That shopkeeper went and blurted out the whole story to the entire town!" Her face tints slightly red in her anger.

I've lived with this woman long enough to inure me to her tendencies. What did she expect me to do? Simply let the man call my friend a whore?

"They don't know it's true."

"Of course they do. Your reputation precedes you, Alpha." Strands of hair drift around her face, having fallen from her intricate braided hairstyle. It's enough of an implication to suggest her stress and frustration.

"I was protecting a member of my Pack," I note simply, folding my arms over my chest. "He called her a whore."

This entire scene reminds me so greatly of childhood.

I'm banished to a chair while my mother rants and raves in front of me, scolding me for one thing or the other. She's changed absolutely nothing about her office too, which sinks me deeply into such memories.

"This is what I was talking about. This behaviour is unacceptable," she seethes, her heeled feet clicking against the wood floor as she paces. "Any more of this and your proclivity for protecting this girl will get out to all the other Alpha's who are currently salivating at our borders, looking for a weakness."

I supply her with a bland smile, trying to comply.

"It won't happen again," I assure her.

Chances are it will. I'm no Saint.

"I don't believe that to be true." Her stare chills my skin. "We are announcing her as your mistress in three days, then I am bringing the marriage candidates here until you pick one."

I rise to my feet, my mother entirely unfazed by my towering height.

"By exposing Sienna to the whole Pack, you're putting more of a target on her back," I growl.

"Her face is plastered over every newspaper in your Pack. The amount of shared renditions of her is absurd. Everyone wants to know who the Alpha's best friend is."

"I'm certain this won't protect her." My fingers tighten into fists at the thought of anyone harming her. Today was bad enough. He's lucky he didn't lay a hand on her, otherwise he would lose what could cause him to make that mistake again.

"People respect mistresses more than friends. We've been over this," mother exasperates, tossing her hands up.

I wipe my hand down my face, frustrating eating away at my calm façade.

"I just...give me more time."

Seeing her look of disgust, hearing her rejection is too much for me to bear right now. Once I offer this to her, there is no going back.

Our friendship will never be the same again...

Mother's mouth opens, ready to spew some kind of protest when her office door opens.

Sienna walks in, staring down at a tiny blue glass bottle in her palm.

"Lucia, I retrieved that herbal ointment for your face..." She glances up. "Oh, hey Onyx."

Fuck.

"Come in dear." My mother smooths the frustration from her face, sweeping her arm to encourage Sienna to join us.

She looks between us, sensing the residual tension."Am I interrupting something?"

"Of course not." Lucia grabs her arm, tugging her to her side. "This is excellent timing."

"It is?"

"Mother, don't," I want quietly.

Sienna's deep brown eyes look to me for answers that I can't give her right now. She is well aware that being pulled into a heated meeting with my mother and I isn't a good thing.

"I'm assuming my son hasn't spoken to you about the changes that will be going on around here?" Mother asks lightly, glaring at me in a way that warns me not to manoeuvre out of this conversation.

"He's told me that women may be brought in for him to select a wife," she says warily. "I mean, you told me that too."

My mothers smile is cold. "No, not that."

"What then?"

I shift uncomfortably. I hate feeling cornered, especially by my own mother.

It's not like this is an easy conversation to have. I have no idea how Sienna is going to act. Were I in her position, I don't think I would take this well at all.

"Go on Onyx. I believe this is your news to share," mother prompts.

There's absolutely no room for me to sidle out of this conversation. It must be done.

"It looks like my mother will not be needing you to work for her any longer," I tell her uneasily. "I mean, we are ready to offer you a...promotion, of sorts, that will replace your job."

"Wait, what?" She looks a little panicked.

I rub the back of my neck, grimacing. "I've made some mistakes, Sienna."

"Get on with it, son," mother prompts, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Sienna takes a wary step back. "What's going on?"

"Too many people know about you, about how important you are to me," I tell her tightly. "You're in danger."

Her eyes widen and she looks to Lucia for help. Unfortunately my mother has no interest in fishing her out of this one.

"From who?"

"Everyone, but mostly those beyond my Pack borders who are looking to exploit me," I explain steadily.

This needs to be as professional as possible, because feelings are going to be very quickly involved. In a normal circumstance, I would have just had my way with her and would be rolling over in bed to offer her the position.

"Has threats been made against me?" The urgency in her eyes has my stomach twisting.

"Not yet, although we anticipate that at any moment you may be targeted for being my friend. For being close to me," I tell her gently.

"I'm safe here though, right?"

"To an extent." I close my eyes. "I want you to be my mistress."

When they open again, Sienna is staring at me in cold silence, her mouth parted in shock.

My mother looks at me, unsure of how to act. She's not very good with overwhelming emotions.

"Your what?" Sienna breathes.

I step forward, taking her hands into mine. They are clammy and limp, the shock still stunning her stiff.

"The title will offer you much more protection. You'll have far stronger guards both inside and outside of the manor and it will be assumed that you will be in my room at night, that you will be by my side often. This limits any attempts for assassination," I explain to her slowly, so she can understand every word.

Sienna is reasonable, but I can tell she is struggling to comprehend this offer.

"I don't understand..."

My mother smooths her hair away from her face before brushing me away so she can hold Sienna's hands herself.

"Most importantly, dear, you will be less of a target. Both male and female Alpha's are often forced to marry for wealth or power, so they keep someone close who they love, who they confide in. This person has a title, who is protected," she explains gently. "There has been an unspoken rule throughout history that mistresses are safeguarded against being targets of political upheaval."

"What if I say no?" She asks.

I feel my stomach twist in dismay. My fear is that she would rather leave here than accept this meaningless title change.

"Well, why would you?" Lucia asks.

"Because...I mean, Onyx and I are not romantically involved." She gestures between the two of us, the urgency in her eyes digging into my heart, causing an ache. "He's just my friend."

"What goes on behind the scenes means very little. It's just a title," I assure her firmly. "This title doesn't mean you are obliged to do anything a mistress usually would."

Her shoulders slump as she exhales slowly.

Ouch. I didn't expect her relief at not having to sleep with me to hurt so bad.

"That being said, you will have to keep up appearances in public. This is a ruse that cannot be exposed without risking making yourself more of a target," mother adds.

I glare at her. Now is not the time.

"So what, I can never marry?" Sienna wraps her arms around herself, disturbed at the thought.

"Of course you can." Mother squeezes her hand assuredly. "If you happen to find someone, we will dissolve the title and send you on the way. This is just an arrangement for however long you want to stay close to Onyx."

Sienna and I haven't talked much about her plans recently. It's just been assumed she would stay here for as long as possible.

It's my fault. I didn't allow myself to imagine her moving on with some other guy.

Sienna pulls her hands out of my mothers grasp, backing up. "I can't..."

She darts out the room at an unbelievable amount of speed that makes it feel like we were physically restraining her.

I start off after her. "Sienna!"

My mother grabs my arm, pulling my attention to her.

"Give her some time to think," she exclaims. "But not too much. You must convince her, son."

"Look how mortified she was." I point after her, nausea having rooted itself securely in my stomach. "I will not force her."

"You don't need to force her. But if she does not accept this, I will chop off her hair, change her identity and have her sent off to some remote village," she snaps.

Ever the more experienced, reasonable one, my mother is doing what is right for Sienna. My friend is in danger, and I can't allow myself to become too immersed in my emotions.

"Mother..."

"You will never see her again, Onyx," she insists coldly. "Do you understand?"

My jaw tightens, my teeth protesting but I hardly care.

"Okay. I'll talk to her."